anned by
exposure so that his very light brilliant eyes flared oddly in so dark a
surrounding. Above, his sandy hair, which had receded somewhat from his
forehead, curled up from his temples like a baby's. His upper lip was
long and with a pleasant mouth gave his face an expression of humour.
His hands were ugly, but small.

They sat for some time without moving, the burglar engaged in bandaging
the cut on his right hand with obvious indifference to Holland's
presence, Geoffrey meanwhile studying him carefully. The process of
bandaging over, the man reached out his hand toward the bookcase and,
selecting a volume of Sterne, settled back comfortably in his chair.
Holland stared at him an instant in wonder, and then attempted to follow
his example. But his attention to his book was much less concentrated
than that of his captive, whose expression soon showed him to be
completely absorbed.

They must have sat thus for an hour, before the burglar began to show
signs of restlessness. He asked if it were still snowing, and looked
distinctly disturbed on being told it was. At last he broke the silence
again.

"You don't remember me, do you?" he said.

Geoffrey slowly raised his eyes without moving--his revolver was
drooping in his right hand. He ran his mind over his criminal
acquaintance unsuccessfully, and repeated:

"Remember you?"

"Yes, we were at school together for a time."

Geoffrey stared, and then exclaimed spontaneously:

"You used to be able to wag your ears."

"Can still."

"Why, you are Skinny McVay."

The man nodded. Neither was without a sense of humour, and yet saw
nothing comic in these untender reminiscences.

"I remember the masters all hated you," said Geoffrey, "but you were
straight enough then, weren't you?"

Again the man nodded. "I took to this sort of thing a month or so ago."

After a moment Geoffrey said:

"Did not I hear you were in the navy?"

"No," said McVay. "I was at Annapolis for a few months. I had an idea I
should like the navy, but Heavens above! I could not stand the Academy.
They threw me out. It seems I had broken every rule they had ever made.
It was worse than State's prison."

"Are you in a position to judge?" asked Geoffrey coolly.

"No," said McVay, as if he nevertheless had information on the subject.

"Well, you will be soon," said Holland, not sorry for an opportunity to
point out that his heart was not softened by recollections of his school
days. But